Mechanical Engineering: Computational Fluids Engr

Project-based. Computational methods for solving the Navier-Stokes equations and combined thermo-fluid flows; finite- differences and finite-volume techniques; use of standard commercial CFD software. Prerequisite: ME 2230 or equivalent.

Prereqs enforced by the system: ME 2230 or equivalent; Open to Degree and PACE students

Course Description 3.00 Credit Hours Catalog Description: Computational methods for solving the Navier-Stokes equations and combined thermo-fluid flows; finite-differences and finite-volume techniques; use of standard commercial CFD software. Prerequisite: ME 2230 Fluid Mechanics or equivalent. Course Topics - Theory & Application • Introduction to CFD • Review of governing equations of fluid mechanics • Survey of numerical methods, algorithms, and relevant strengths and limitations • Application of numerical methods to Diffusion Problems • Application of numerical methods for Mixed Convection-Diffusion Problems; • Performance of various discretization Schemes • Finite volume formulation for unsteady problems; Time-Stepping Methods • Pressure-Velocity coupling in steady flows • Implementation of flow boundary conditions • Advanced flow modeling topics (e.g., turbulence, compressibility, buoyancy, multiphase) Course Overview & Pedagogy Overview: Computer simulations have emerged as a powerful tool for the design and analysis of engineering systems and technologies; this has been increasingly realized in the fluid dynamics community as well. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) has emerged as a very powerful tool for studying and analyzing a wide-range of fluid flows. The robustness of CFD techniques have been shown to match the results of corresponding experiments performed in the laboratory. This success has led to the growth of CFD as an effective tool, and in some cases, a substitute for costly and time consuming experimental endeavors. This paved the way for the development of full-fledged software modules which enable the end user to study fluid-flow problems without any need to build his/her own computational code which is often a time consuming activity. Despite the maturity of CFD software, there still remains the need to understand the basic principles upon which these commercial CFD packages are built in order to exploit these tools cautiously, accurately, effectively, and optimally. This course is intended to provide a one-semester introduction to the field of CFD. This will be accomplished by combining the academic exercises of building and understanding the fundamental physics, numerical theory, and computational tools with the knowledge and appreciation of some of the commercial software packages already available in the market. The format of this course will be a nearly even split between traditional lecture and computational laboratory work that, in general, includes meshing of the physical domain, numerical modeling and solving of the governing equations, and post-processing and presentation of results. Pedagogy: The pedagogical approach to this course is necessarily hybrid in nature, as CFD simulations require a combination of numerical skills and the theoretical grounding to properly implement the techniques and interpret the results. According, class meetings will be divided into lecture and laboratory components. During the lecture portion we shall cover necessary theoretical aspects of the fluid dynamics and/or numerical methodologies. In the laboratory portion we will implement the numerical techniques to obtain solutions to various fluid-flow and heat transfer problems. In this course, commercial CFD software will enable us to solve a wide range of problems - including 2D, 3D, steady, and unsteady cases - simply not possible in the available time if we were writing our own source code. Early in the semester, the laboratory component will involve introducing the practical workings of commercial software so that students may later be capable of independently constructing their own flow simulations. Project: One of the most important components of this course will be the Final CFD Project which includes the final presentation and paper. The project will be based on the numerical simulations and investigation of an approved engineering problem and a detailed project report will be submitted along with a technical presentation to the class; the final presentations will be held during the scheduled final exam period. The length of each presentation will be approximately 12-14 minutes with an additional 4-5 minutes allocated for questions and answers. Guidelines for preparing the presentation and paper will provided as will criteria on how the presentation will be evaluated. Projects will be completed in groups of two students. Graduate students are required to work on individual projects. Importance of Homework: Performing your own CFD simulations is the only way to learn and develop your CFD skills. Thus, homework assignments are an important part of this class. Additionally, developing CFD skills is a cumulative process that begins with simple, canonical problems that gradually build into more complex simulations. For these reasons, it is important to complete and submit assignments no later than the due date. Collaboration: You are encouraged to discuss the homework assignments with classmates; however, the final work you submit must be your own. Copying someone else’s work is unacceptable – this is especially true in the case of computer based assignments. There is a clear distinction between discussing assignments and copying someone else’s work. If you simply copy what someone else has done, you are not increasing your understanding of the material. It is very easy to recognize copying. Presentation: Sloppy, untidy submission of work will be penalized for two main reasons. First, it is not the responsibility of the grader to attempt to decipher your solution because it is either hardly readable or disorganized. Second, as a professional engineer, it is important that you learn to communicate your work in the most professional manner possible. This includes the presentation of plots, charts, graphs, figures, equations, and manuscripts.

Course Format Three 50 minute class meetings held Monday, Wednesday, Friday Suggested Textbooks for Reference 1.) An Introduction to Computational Fluid Dynamics by HK Versteeg & W Malalasekera 2.) Computational Fluid Dynamics – A Practical Approach by J. Tu, G.-H. Yeoh & C. Liu 3.) The textbook used in your introductory Fluid Mechanics course.

Homework 50% Mid-Term Project 20% Final Project 30% Subject to change prior to first class meeting.